Since we launched the journal in 2022, we have devoted December and January to special issues featuring pieces celebrating, reflecting on, or paying tribute to the holidays, winter, family and cultural traditions, or what it means to move from one year to the next. We like to publish writing during these two months in particular that encourage a time of gentle reflection and grace (for yourself and others).
Our submission call typically publishes from early October through mid-November to allow time to select and place new work in the December and January months. Our submission period for 2026 will open in October 2026.
Results for 2025: Submissions opened on October 1, 2025 and closed November 7, 2025. Submissions were fee-free and capped at 75. We selected 18 pieces for December and 17 for January.
The WINTER HOLIDAY REFLECTION ISSUE – Part One (December 1, 2025)
- Kersten Christianson – December’s Eve (poetry)
- Jeffrey Sommer – Winter (poetry)
- Mark Hall – Alma’s Baked ‘Possum: A Thanksgiving Tradition (nonfiction)
- Laura Hannett – Antipodes (poetry)
- Lana Hechtman Ayers – Two Little Jews on Christmas Morning 1971, with (poetry)
- Deborah Shouse – Santa V Moon (nonfiction)
- Chantal Travers – What we give at Christmas (poetry)
- Cecil Morris – Orange at Christmas (poetry)
- Mitch Simmons – The Weight of Christmas Past (poetry)
- Melanie Harless – A Doll for Christmas (nonfiction)
- Ruth Zwald – Winter Solstice Pantoum (poetry)
- Brian C. Billings – Green, Green Christmas (poetry)
- Brian Goedde – For Santa’s Magic, We Told the Truth (nonfiction)
- Paige Milatz – Santa Claus Let the Dogs Out (poetry)
- Kenneth M. Kapp – Rudolf and the Flashing Red Lights (fiction)
- Alexandria Wyckoff – Cheerful Misery (poetry)
- Kathy Pon – Poinsettias (poetry)
- Amber Lethe – First Snow, Final Page (poetry)
The WINTER HOLIDAY REFLECTION ISSUE – Part Two (January 1, 2026)
- Cecil Morris – New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day (poetry)
- Jeanine Stevens – Infinity (poetry)
- Sarah Pouliot – Papa’s Garage (poetry)
- Lorraine Jeffery – Putting Christmas Away (poetry)
- Perie Longo – Retrieving the Mail in January (poetry)
- Karen Carter – Ushering in the New Year (poetry)
- Sandra Hosking – The Singing Lake (poetry)
- Lani T – Winter Woes (poetry)
- Sam Barbee – A.M. Art (poetry)
- Beate Sigriddaughter – Snowball Fight (poetry)
- Catherine Prentice – Winter Grief (poetry)
- Ruth Zwald – Kinds of Snow (poetry)
- John Attanas – Back Then (poetry)
- Stephan Hermann – Bunny in Brown Bear’s Coat (poetry)
- Aidan Russell – Snow (poetry)
- Sarah Das Gupta – Puck’s Paper (poetry)
- Shreya Datta – Darjeeling Tea (poetry)
If you are considering submitting of the December 2026 and January 2027 issues, these are some things to keep in mind. The Bluebird Word seeks poetry, flash nonfiction, or flash fiction pieces that capture the essence, mood, and experience of the season. We welcome pieces with themes that center around wintertime, the holidays, and reflection as we transition from one year to the next.
GUIDELINES:
- We will feature at least twenty pieces of new writing in total in the Winter Reflection Holiday issue. In 2025, we published 35 pieces (of poetry, flash nonfiction and fiction) in December 2025 and January 2026.
- Emerging writers (fewer than five published pieces across any genre) are encouraged to submit. You are welcome to add a comment that you identify as an emerging writer.
- Established writers are also cherished for their writing.
- If you have been previously published in The Bluebird Word, please join us again!
- We welcome only new and unpublished work.
WHAT TO SUBMIT:
- You may submit in multiple categories (poetry, nonfiction or fiction). However, please only submit up to three poems, one flash nonfiction essay, and/or one piece of flash fiction.
- Poems do not have a line limit, although we prefer poems that do not exceed 50 lines. You’re welcome to try something new. For example, do you write haiku, villanelles, or sestinas? Play around with various formats, if you’d like.
- Flash nonfiction and flash fiction submissions are preferred up to the 750-word range. Pieces cannot exceed 1,000 words.
- Please attach your submission in a .doc or .docx format. You may include separate attachments or all work in one attachment.
- Please use a clear font such as 12-point, Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial, or similar.
- Only new or unpublished work accepted. Nothing previously published (i.e. from other online or print publications, personal blogs, websites or social media).
- As a friendly reminder, The Bluebird Word will not tolerate writing which fosters or promotes discrimination, hatred or violence. Your work will not be read further if it is determined this is the nature of your submission. These two months in particular encourage a time of gentle reflection and grace (for yourself and others).
SEEKING INSPIRATION?
Please take a look at previous years’ Winter Reflection Issues for inspiration and to get a sense of what we publish.
- 2025: Check out the seasonal charm in December and our snowy January 2026 issue.
- 2024: Read our December archive and the January 2025 issue.
- 2023: Featured work in December 2023 Winter Holiday Issue
- 2022: Our first Winter Reflection Issue in December 2022
We look forward to reading your work beginning in October 2026. The submission call will be available on Submittable at that time. Thank you!
